Texas is alot like California in many ways (Dallas, Howe: movies, shop)

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by love roses

I tried to rep you but it wouldn't let me

Same.

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by ejonestexas

They both have [SIZE=3]Illegal immigrants :-)[/SIZE]

EVERY SINGLE STATE has illegal immigrants! And, oddly enough, not all illegal immigrants are Hispanic or Mexican.

I know a girl whose family illegally immigrated from CANADA because the wait to immigrate legally took so damn long.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

There aren't. Most rodeo athletes don't come from the South, they come from the West, and most actual working Cowboys are in Texas and further west. Cowboy boots and hats aren't necessarily limited to working as an actual cowboy because they're very versatile and are used for most outside work. Southerners may wear boots and wide-brimmed hats without being cowboys--in fact, there are very few cowboys in the South. There may be people who work on farms and wear jeans and boots, but that doesn't make them Western ranch-style true cowboys.

Plus, "cowboy boots" and just plain work boots are different. Most Southerners are going to wear work boots for outside work, often brands like Red Wing. This doesn't make them cowboy boots, though they may appear to be to the uneducated eye.

On Bush's accent, he doesn't really drawl very much, and this is a key characteristic of the Deep South. He does have a bit of a twang, which would exemplify West Texas and Appalachia, but he doesn't pull it off quite like a native does. He rather just sounds like someone who's trying to talk with his mouth half-closed.

Now that is something that I never hear "around these parts."

I'll leave the cowboy subject alone. It's just too much of a debate. Actually and from what you say, Dallas should never have chosen "cowboys" for the name of the team.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

So many people just get their panties in a wad over "Don't Mess with Texas"when all it is is an award-winning anti-littering campaign. That they take it the way they do says a whole lot more about them than it does about the campaign (or the phrase) itself.

The bumper stickers are specifically ABOUT the anti-littering campaign, produced by it, so it's a little bit of a stretch (to put it kindly) to assume that the people that use them aren't referring to the campaign - that's the entire point of the stickers.

You're at least the second lady on this forum that uses that statement, "panties in a wad." Gosh, I hate that. Is that a Texas thing too? It just sounds so nasty...for lack of a better word.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I agree, it's more of a twang than a drawl but relative to California, it's quite noticeable. And this accent isn't limited to west Texas. Even people from Houston and Dallas have twangs and pronounce words differently. For example in Dallas, no says 'ing, they say in. Even if someone has no twang with regard to their other words, they will never say running or cooking..they will say runnin' or cookin. And they still say you all or ya'll instead of all of you. Very Texan

It's very noticeable indeed. When I moved here, I could not understand southern talk to save my soul, but I'm used to it now. If dropping the "g" were the only thing, it would be easy to decipher. You must buy the Texas Dictionary. It is an absolute riot. My mom bought it decades ago and she and I would absolutely crack up. My brother-in-law, a native T didn't find it funny, but I really don't think he "got it." My native Texas friend found it hilarious, but he has learned not to talk with an accent nor does he butcher simple words. To this day, I laugh so hard when I read that book, my side hurts. Of course, the graphics make it even funnier.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

You just proved my point for me. It's that need to feel empowered by saying "everything is bigger in Texas." People in Texas feel the need to make things bigger out of a sense of state pride and to get noticed. That phrase may have originally meant one thing but it evolved to mean something else. And I doubt people who have the "Don't Mess with Texas" bumper sticker are referring to anti-littering

I never understood anyone saying everything is bigger in Texas. It's just another corny bragging tactic and of no importance.

Some of us are aware of the Texas bumper sticker campaign against littering but you are ever so right, many Texans use it as just plain, "Don't mess with us because ........" Anyone can fill in the blanks however he or she chooses.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Yeah, that's right. We ain't that great. That is why the good folks in California always seem to see the need to come over and constantly remind us how much better their state is over Texas. They don't brag at all.......

But no, we don't sit around constantly going on about how great Texas is. Unless of course they are referring to "Texas" that fine institution down in Austin. Hmm, maybe that is what the folks you have been hearing are actually talking about, the school. Talking about how much they enjoyed it and how the football team is going to get the national championship again someday soon. We Texans just don't know how to act. Bless those poor folks out at USC that sure felt the need to come over and spit on anyone that had on a Texas shirt a few years ago. Sad thing is, they really DID DO THAT! With KIDS PRESENT AND ON THE KIDS!?!?!?! Classy...

It seems to me most of the discussion here is about people, not land. Texas is great and California is great. Both have beautiful land and both have absolutely unattractive areas. Now since we're discussing people, both have some major problems.

I didn't know about the USC people coming over here and acting like trash. That is a shame, but my guess is it was caused by all the transplants and foreigners attending USC. A decent Californian wouldn't think of exhibiting such poor behavior.

Good for the national football championship for those who care. Some of us couldn't care less about sports, but that's a topic for another conversation. I know I'm in the minority there, thank gosh.

[ejonestexas]

Well USC means the University of Spoiled Children. Spoiled rich kids so what do you expect

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

EVERY SINGLE STATE has illegal immigrants! And, oddly enough, not all illegal immigrants are Hispanic or Mexican.

I know a girl whose family illegally immigrated from CANADA because the wait to immigrate legally took so damn long.

you are right, we had a gal at our old church in NM who was here illegally from Canada. She made the mistake of trying to go back for spring break. That was 7 years ago, as far as we know she is still in Canada. Still, in all fairness most illegals are from south of the border..

Nita

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

It seems to me most of the discussion here is about people, not land. Texas is great and California is great. Both have beautiful land and both have absolutely unattractive areas. Now since we're discussing people, both have some major problems.

I didn't know about the USC people coming over here and acting like trash. That is a shame, but my guess is it was caused by all the transplants and foreigners attending USC. A decent Californian wouldn't think of exhibiting such poor behavior.

Good for the national football championship for those who care. Some of us couldn't care less about sports, but that's a topic for another conversation. I know I'm in the minority there, thank gosh.

The issue of Texas having mountains is an example of this inflated sense of state pride which I will clarify. If I lived in Texas, I would never contradict someone who claimed Texas doesn't have mountains. I understand what they mean. Places like Colorado, Washington, California, and even Arizona have mountains that people regularly use. They hike and ski on them. There are well established cities or communities on or near them. Texas doesn't have that. In LA, Phoenix and Seattle, you can drive after work and go skiing in the same day in the winter; can you do that in Houston, Dallas or San Antonio? But of course, a Texan gets defensive and claims they have mountains even though they are tiny, located in a remote area of the state that is sparsely populated or isn't used in the same sense that these other states use it.

If someone criticized California by saying it's too expensive, I wouldn't contradict them by desperately alluding to some remote area of California that has a cheaper cost of living. There are areas like that in California and I could cite them but I won't because I understand the general point the person was making. Yes, California is expensive. That's one of the negatives of California. Likewise, Texas doens't have mountains yet the Texan feels the need to cite some rare example just to contradict a technical point. The reason the Texan does this is because they have this overwhelming sense of state pride. It's just funny to hear the Texans deny it now